Ireland hold a two-goal lead after the first leg, thanks to the goals scored by Ian Harte and Robbie Keane at Lansdowne Road on Saturday night. But the team's not the same in one crucial position. Charlton's Mark Kinsella takes the place of the injured Roy Keane; Aston Villa's Steve Staunton deputises as captain.

Before the game, some Islamic music; hopefully Richard Littlejohn was watching, and has fallen into an apoplectic fit.

1 And we're off. With Hertha Berlin striker Ali Daei in the Iranian team, much depends on the solidity of Staunton and Gary Breen in the centre of the Irish defence. Oh dear. But here's hoping.

3 A speculative high ball into the Irish half sees Breen in all sorts of bother. He heads the ball straight up, allowing Daei to set up Mehdi Mahdavikia with a fancy back-heel out to the right. But Mahdavikia wastes the cross.

4 Within the minute, Mahdavikia is haring down the right again in space. But he runs it out of play. What are you up to, Ian Harte?

5 An Irish corner comes to nought. Believe me, the less said about it the better.

7 Keane turns nicely on a sixpence in midfield and nearly sets McAteer away down an inside-right channel. Seconds later, slick passing sees the favour not returned but repeated; the Sunderland winger's cross sails harmlessly into the arms of Iran goalkeeper Ebrahim Mirzapour, who for once is not rolling around the floor as though he's been shot in the spine (cf. 89 minutes of the first leg).

10 Nearly another Irish corner. Nearly.

10 If Ireland keep giving Daei this much space, there'll be trouble. He's away down the left this time, turning Steve Finnan this way and that. He cuts into the box from out wide, and one touch makes space for a shot; but luckily for Ireland it's whipped into the side netting.

14 Mark Kinsella, loitering by the penalty spot in the Iranian box, latches onto a knocked-down header from Breen. There's no pace on his header, though, and it sort of wafts into the arms of Mirzapour (who is amazingly still standing up).

16 Daei finds Mahdavikia alone on the right with a sweeping pass of no little majesty. But the Hamburg player's delivery is once again found wanting, and Finnan wanders off up his right wing unchallenged with the ball...

16 ...which almost finds its way into the Iranian net as a harmless ball into the box is nearly bundled home by Kinsella, who is cheekily nipping around the feet of the still-mobile Mirzapour.

20 Iran are increasingly relying on the long ball, and it's working. They're pushing Ireland back into their own half with increasing regularity, and although the pressure is coming to nothing at the moment - here a promising through ball by Karim Bagheri is totally misread by Daei and rolls into touch - there are enough warning signs for Mick McCarthy to be nervous.

23 A high Kinsella cross is swallowed spectacularly by a showboating Mirzapour who leaps like a salmon to his left - and then gets up!

25 Keane steals the ball in midfield and, once again, feeds McAteer down the right. To be honest, Jase makes a right hash of a promising three-on-three break and gives the ball cheaply away, but he is clumsily bundled off the ball. Sadly, from the free-kick comes disappointment (unless you're supporting Iran, in which case Harte's hopeless thud into the sky will pleasure you).

29 The pendulum is beginning to swing back in Ireland's favour; the Irish back four have pushed further up the pitch and are looking more solid.

30 Famous last words. Finally, a good cross from the right from Mahdavikia finds Ali Karimi towering above the lumpen Finnan; he heads wide of Shay Given's right-hand post when it would have been easier to score. The best chance of the match. Hell, the only chance of the match.

33 Balls from the Iranian right are beginning to cause real problems. Mahdavikia delivers another good one, which Given misjudges. With Daei in hot pursuit, the Irish keeper must barge his own player, Finnan, out of the way and belabour the ball into touch.

34 Almost immediately, disaster. A ball bounces straight down the middle of the pitch towards the Ireland box. And it bounces, and it bounces... and then Given, who races out to collect, flaps like a Barthez instead, allowing Daei to flick the ball over his outstretched arm with a deft header. For a minute, it looks as though it's going to settle into the open net, but it squirms to the right and just misses the post. You're pushing your luck, chaps.

38 What are Harte and Staunton doing down the Irish left? This time it's Alireza Nikbakht who nearly profits from a high ball from the omnipresent Mahdavikia. The heat is turned off the Irish when he fouls Given, who at least is flapping less than he was doing five minutes ago.

40 Some respite for Ireland as Harte and Kinsella manufacture some space down the left. They keep hold of it for a bit.

41 Alireza Nikbakht Vahedi cuts past Staunton down the right, and nips into the Irish box. He's got time, but only Daei to aim for. Iran's star striker is crowded out, and Breen hacks away with his right boot.

Half-time: Iran 0 - 0 Ireland They've done half the job without being breached, but Ireland's defence is not looking solid, to be perfectly honest. Still, you can't complain at the moment.

46 The teams are back out. Iran lose the ball immediately from the kick-off, and then Ireland lose the ball in a strong position down the right. Then Karim Bagheri is caught unnecessarily offside when things look promising for Iran. And these players want to play in a World Cup finals, do they?

46 Keane finds himself loose down the left, with David Connolly free in the middle. The pass he sends across the box is too heavy, though, and the chance goes begging.

47 Mahdavikia is booked after giving away a harmless free kick.

48 Connolly is finding more and more space down the left touchline, and he's linking well with Kevin Kilbane and Keane. Expect them to cause hassle for Iran later in the game when Iran push on looking for goals.

50 Karimi is slipped in down the right, beating the Irish offside trap. But Given is quick to come out and claim at his feet.

51 Daei races in at Giggsesque pace from the left, finally playing the ball across the face of the Irish box to Karimi, who lays it off to the incoming Vahedi: the resulting thumping shot flies wide of Given's left post. It should have been a goal.

51 Keane is booked for a niggly foul.

52 Connolly is set free down the inside-right channel. He wallops the shot into the side netting. This game is opening up.

54 Given to the rescue. He punches a cross away from the head of Daei, but only sees the ball fall to Bagheri, who hammers in a wonderful volley. Given gets down to his right, making the save of the match, and then palms the ball away heroically from the advancing Daei, who was snaffling around for scraps. The resulting corner comes to nothing.

58 As you would expect, Iran are going hell for leather in their pursuit of a goal. And, worryingly for the Irish, they're doing it so well there's no chance to take advantage of any gaps at the back. The ball just keeps coming back...

60 What with all this attacking going on, poor Mirzapour hasn't had much attention in the Iranian goal. Aaw. Time for an absolutely risible sliced clearance, then. Sadly, Kinsella can only head it back to Iranian feet.

63 It's catching. An assured spell of possession from Iran is ended by an agricultural hoof from Mehrdad Minavand out on the left wing. The crowd are getting restless...

65 ... and if they were restless before, they're probably riding motorcycles up and down the aisles now. A harmless Iranian up-and-under suddenly becomes a peach of a pass as Breen and Finnan are caught miles upfield and Minavand finds himself free on the inside left. He hammers a beautiful half-volley towards goal only to see Given dive high and right and parry the ball well away. The Irish keeper is fast becoming Ireland's man of the match.

71 The game looks to be dying on its feet, until Finnan gives away a needless corner, and then it's pressure city, Arizona, as Tony from Reggie Perrin might say. Three corners on the trot all cause minor havoc in the Irish box, but as a rule, if the ball doesn't fall to Daei, it won't end up near the goal. The ball doesn't fall to Daei.

75Keane is substituted for Clinton Morrison.

78 It's cameo time. Mohammad Peyrovani bundles his own man, Karim Bagheri, off the pitch because he's wasting time doing a Mirzapour. Hamed Kavianpour skins Kevin Kilbane, but then who doesn't?

80 Mahdavikia sails past Harte as though he was Kilbane, and makes the touchline with time to spare. But only Daei is in the box, and although he's nearly found, the ball is hacked away by one of the seven Irishmen in the six-yard box. Breathe again.

83 Ireland win a free-kick on the edge of the Iranian box. Can Connolly ice the cake? What do you think? The ball sails into the stands.

84 Same again but down the other end, as McAteer hacks down an in-flight Vahedi. Can Daei show his class when it matters? It's Connolly time again.

86 Harte's best cross of the afternoon is met easily by Mirzapour, because there's no Irishmen in the box. You can't really blame them for playing for a draw, now, can you?

89 A dodgy back-pass from Finnan nearly lets in Daei, who is at least battling to the death.

90 Two minutes of injury time to be played. Breen ushers it in with a fine clearance from a Peyrovani cross.

90 GOAL Iran 1 - 0 Ireland For the love of Mick H McCarthy, what are you doing to our nerves? Ireland give away a free-kick wide on the Iranian right, near the corner flag. Mahdavikia sails a ball over and Yahya Golmohammadi heads it over the line. But it's too little too late, because...

Full-time: Iran 1 - 0 Ireland (Ireland win 2-1 on aggregate) Ireland become the 31st nation to make it to the 2002 finals in Japan and South Korea. (Australia and Uruguay will battle for the remaining place.)

Everyone will find out who they'll play in the group stages on December 1, when the draw for the finals are made.